After Claudia
by adelaidybug
Summary: This story takes place after episode 1.04, "Claudia." I've always wondered what happened after the sibling reunited, so I thought I'd write about it.
1. Chapter 1

**I've always been curious what happened between when Josh and Claudia were reunited and the beginning of "Elements," so I decided to write a fic about it. I'm not sure how long this will end up.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warehouse 13 or any of its characters, they are the property of Jack Kenney and the Syfy network. No money has or will exchange hands regarding this work of fiction. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Joshua, Artie, and Claudia had all made it successfully out of the inter-dimensional space. It took a long time for Claudia to stop holding onto her big brother, but when she finally did, Artie cleared his throat.

"Claudia, Joshua, meet Pete and Myka. They're agents that work for me."

"Nice to meet you," Josh said, while Claudia avoided eye contact with them.

"You all look awful. Why don't we go back to the B&amp;B and get some rest?" Myka initiated.

Claudia shifted uncomfortably.

"And you two should come," Artie said, pointing at the siblings.

"Well, I guess I don't exactly have room for two at the... place I'm staying. And I haven't been to my apartment in like 6 months..."

"Come back to the B&amp;B," Myka said again. "You two can ride with Pete and I."

The siblings complied, and soon the redheaded teen was snuggled close to her brother in the backseat of Myka's car. It seemed like she was afraid if she let go, he would disappear. She yawned and shut her eyes, yet she still buzzed with energy. He thought of the seven year old sister he left, and couldn't believe that this was her.

Pete and Myka were chatting up front, and Josh took the opportunity to talk with his baby sister.

"Claudia, how long has it been? You look so different."

"Twelve years and 18 days," she said, her voice crackling with pain.

The man let out a long breath. He had abandoned Claudia for most of her life. And for what? Some stupid experiment. He pulled his sister closer to himself, and fought to control his emotions. Throughout the long car-ride, he noticed Claudia slowly relax, and looked down to find her asleep, still nestled against him. He wanted to ask her a million questions about what he had missed in her life, but he wasn't even sure if she wanted that. Was she angry at him for abandoning her? Did she even want a relationship? He noticed a droplet of blood coming from her nose, and wiped it away with a corner of his shirt. She looked pale and exhausted, her heartbeat throbbing in her neck a bit too quickly. Joshua realized she hadn't had someone to look out for her best interests since he left. This was evident in her too-thin body, wrinkled clothing, and tousled hair. it was all his fault.

"We're here," Myka said, pulling up into the driveway of a quaint bed and breakfast.

Joshua shook Claudia's shoulder gently, trying to rouse her.

"Claudia, wake up. We're here."

She tensed and opened her eyes, pulling away from him. Her eyes darted around quickly before she noticed him.

"We're here."

"Okay," she said quickly. She unfastened her seatbelt and hopped out of the car, still looking tense and guarded. Myka led them inside, where a nice-yet strange-woman greeted them.

"You must be Claudia and Joshua. I'm Leena." She told them about the B&amp;B, showed them around, then lead them up a flight of stairs. Stopping, she turned around and seemed to study Joshua for a long moment.

"Joshua, you'll be in this room," she said, indicating a door. Then she turned to Claudia and squinted at her, tilting her head slightly. She winced almost imperceptibly, as if seeing something in the girl's eyes, then pointed to another door.

"Here's your room. You can stay here as long as you want."

"Uh, thanks."

"Mhm." The woman studied her for another moment, then walked off, and Claudia entered the bedroom. She barely noticed the room's furnishings as she pushed off her converse, ripped off her jacket, and let herself fall onto the bed. After relishing in the comfort for a moment, she crawled toward the pillow, peeling the comforter back and slipping underneath it. She felt gross, and could scarcely remember her last shower or meal, but she was so exhausted that she didn't care. She turned once or twice, then fell deeply into sleep.

She awoke almost 24 hours later. Achy and groggy, she emerged from her room and made her way down the stairs.

"Hello Claudia." greeted Leena from the kitchen. The late afternoon sun was streaming in the windows. The whole place had such a home-y feel to it.

"Uh hi," the teenager replied awkwardly.

"How about some coffee?" Leena offered a cup toward the cautious redhead.

"Thank god," Claudia said, taking the cup and sipping from it. While she had been pushing for answers about Josh, she had allowed herself only a few hours of sleep, and relied heavily on caffeine, often drinking six or more cups of coffee a day.

"Where's Josh?"

"He said he was going to take a nap. How about I whip up something for you to eat? Are you in a breakfast mood? I could make some chocolate chip pancakes. Or maybe a sandwich?"

Claudia blinked a few times. "Uh, chocolate chip pancakes sound amazing."

"Alright, I'll have them ready in half an hour. I put some towels in your room if you want a shower."

"Okay." She went back up the stairs, grabbed the towels and went to the bathroom. Removing her clothes, she turned on the water and stepped under the stream. She couldn't think of the last time she had a long, hot shower, and while the water poured over her, she pondered the woman downstairs was. Claudia was overwhelmed and confused by how nice she was. Why did this woman care? She knew Artie was probably still guilty, but this Leena person didn't owe her anything. When she finally turned off the water and stepped out, she realized that she didn't have any clean clothes.

"Craptastic," she mumbled to herself.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door.

"Claudia, I have some extra clothes until you have a chance to go back and get your own. I'll just leave them outside the door here, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

The clothes were a pair of black stretchy pants with a drawstring, and peasanty blouse. Claudia almost laughed when she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a hippy, but she was thankful she didn't have to put back on her grimy clothes, which hadn't been washed in far too long.

When she ventured back downstairs, the pancakes were ready, and smelled like heaven. Claudia tried to remember the last time she had real homemade food, much less something that looked even remotely appetizing, but she drew a blank. When she was living on her own, she often forgot to eat altogether because of her weird sleep schedule and intense focus. As she took the first bite, she could have sworn she had died and gone to heaven.

"Oh my _gawd._ What are you, some sort of master chef?"

"More coffee?" Leena asked, smiling.

She nodded and took the cup from Leena's hand, practically inhaling the food before her.

After 5 ginormous pancakes and another 2 cups of coffee, Claudia trudged back up the stairs. Despite now having eaten a proper meal, she still felt weak and lightheaded, but she made it to Joshua's room. Neglecting to knock, she slipped into the bedroom and found the man asleep. She was careful not to wake him as she lay down on the bed, snuggling up against him like she had when she was a little girl. After a few minutes, her exhaustion caught up with her once more, and she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, sorry I've been AWOL. I'm finally done with all my finals, so I should by posting more often now.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warehouse 13 or any of its characters, they are the property of Jack Kenney and the Syfy network. No money has or will exchange hands regarding this work of fiction. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

When Claudia woke up again later that evening, she grabbed Joshua's shoulder and shook it.

"Hey!" the man protested groggily.

"Sorry."

"Be gentle. Shoulders aren't toys."

Claudia snickered, then sobered. She wasn't used to human contact, affection, or kidding around with anyone.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. Really well."

"Good. I did too. Claudia, I want to talk about stuff…"

"Stuff?"

"I'm so sorry I left you. I'm so sorry I missed out on your life for 12 years, and if you're willing, I'd like to hear about what I missed."

"Josh, it's… it's a lot."

"What do you mean?"

"A lot has happened since you left. I don't really want to get into it all."

"But I hardly know anything about you."

"Fine, then I'll tell you about myself now. But l want to leave the past in the past, understand?"

"Okay. So what do you like? What are your interests?"  
"Technology; computers, circuitry, and hacking. Also Quidditch, but that's more of a lifestyle than an interest."

"Wait a minute, how many Harry Potters are there now?"

"Seven. And they're making movies too!"

"We need to watch those. But yeah, you were pretty good with computers even when you were little. What else do you like? Do you have any hobbies?"

"Uh, not really. I mean, ever since I was 14, I've been focusing on working and getting you back."

"Why 14?"

"Uh, well…. That's when I started living on my own."

"What?"

"Josh, I told you I didn't want to get into that."

"But- 14?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Claudia. I'm so sorry…." The man had tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry for being so stupid and reckless. I'm sorry for abandoning you."

"Josh…" The girl wrapped her arms around her big brother. "It's okay. Really, it's okay. I've never been mad at you. It wasn't your fault." She felt awkward trying to comfort her big brother. She realized that because of all the artifact weirdness, he wasn't that much older than she was.

"Yes it was. It was all my fault."

"It would have worked if you knew about the secret panel."

"But I didn't, and then I left you all alone."

"It's okay," she said, hugging him tighter. "I'm fine, you're fine. We're both just fine."

* * *

At supper that night, Pete noticed Claudia wolfing down her food like it was going out of style. A little pang went off in his heart as he realized she wasn't used to home-cooked meals, or regular nutritious meals in general. The young woman's pale skin and dark under-eye circles spoke of her condition more than she ever would verbally. She needed rest, and food, and safety. But more than that, he suspected she needed a friend.

"Hey, do you two want to watch a movie tonight?"

"Uh, sure." Claudia replied. Pete had noticed that she was hesitant about accepting anything from anyone.

"Are you into Harry Potter?"

"Uh, are the Doctor and Rose clearly meant for each other?" Claudia quipped.

"Yes! We are officially doing a Harry Potter marathon. And then a Doctor Who marathon."

"Thank god. We need to catch Josh up on Doctor Who and HP ASAP."

"At least Doctor Who is still going. Who is this "Rose?"

Claudia and Pete just glanced at each other knowingly.

* * *

"Hey Claudia," Myka spoke up during breakfast the next morning.

"Yeah?" the young woman answered with her mouth half-full. Everyone had noticed how starved the girl was, and Leena had taken to dishing everyone out their food herself so she could make sure to heap a little extra on Claudia's plate.

"I have some time today, so I was thinking I could take you to pick up a few things from… wherever you're living?"

"Uh, sure. That'd be good."

"Hey, I'll tag along," Josh said, "I'd like to see where you're living."

Claude choked on her oatmeal and coughed a few times, turning red. Pete pounded her on the back a few times, and finally she settled down.

"Uh… yeah, cool. Let's go."

They drove for nearly an hour back to Sioux Falls. Claudia directed them through increasingly seedy neighborhoods until she finally told them to stop in front of a crappy apartment building.

"I'll be right back," she said, hopping out of the front seat and disappearing into the building.

"_This _is where she's living?"

"She had a nicer apartment, but it's like a half-hour away from the lab. I'm guessing she was just staying here temporarily so she could dig for answers."

A few minutes later, Claudia emerged from the building carrying a messenger bag.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Myka asked.

"Yup, this is all I had there."

"How long have you been staying there?" Josh asked as they began the drive back to the B&amp;B.

"2 months. After I got out of the psych ward I-" The woman's eyes widened when she realized what she had just said.

"You were in a psych ward?"

"Yeah. Um… Apparently people think you're crazy when you hear your dead brother talking to you."

"Oh."

"We don't need to talk about it, though."

"Okay..."

"Anyway, today we're tackling basic internet and Youtube."

"Hey, we had internet before I left."

The woman laughed. "Yeah… It has advanced a little bit since 1999..."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and I'd love to get reviews about what you like or suggestions for the story!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Surprise! I'm back with more of the story.**

* * *

A half-hour into their ride back to the B&amp;B from where Claudia was staying, the girl got another nose-bleed.

"Dammit, does anyone have a tissue?"

"I've got some in a plastic baggy under the passenger seat," Myka commented. "Do you see it?

"Yeah, thanks."

"Claude, maybe we should take you in…"

"In where?"

"Into a clinic to see a doctor."

"What? No."

"But Claudia…"

"NO. No doctors. No clinics."

"You're sick. I want to make sure you're okay."

"No, Josh." Her voice had raised in pitch and sounded almost desperate. The man backed off, but still glanced at her worriedly every few minutes. The nosebleed stopped a few minutes before they arrived at the B&amp;B, and when Myka turned off the car, Claudia practically bolted to her room.

"What was that all about?"

"I'm not sure." Myka answered Josh as she made her way inside.

* * *

That night after dinner, Artie approached Claudia.

"Josh told me you've been having nose-bleeds."

"I'm fine."

"He also told me you seemed petrified to go to a clinic."

The redhead didn't respond.

"Listen.. We have a Warehouse doctor who could come to the B&amp;B and check you out. She's very nice." His voice and eyes were soft.

"I don't need that. I'm fine."

"Claudia, you look like hell."

"Gee, thanks, grandpa. You're not looking too good yourself."

"What I _mean _is that you're pale, weak, and you're still having those nosebleeds. Just let Vanessa come check on you. I'll even ask her not to wear her doctor's coat."

The tech-genius looked down for a long time before rolling her eyes and nodding.

"Okay, I'll call her."

* * *

The next day, Dr. Vanessa Calder met Claudia in the solarium. Josh had asked if she wanted him there, but she quickly declined the offer, so he accompanied the rest of the team to lunch, leaving the teen and the doctor at the B&amp;B.

"Hi Claudia, I'm Vanessa."

"Hi." The redhead mumbled, willing herself not to tremble as she shook the doctor's hand.

"I hear you're having some nosebleeds."

"Um… yeah," she replied pathetically.

"Do you remember when they started?"

The teen shrugged. "I guess a few months ago. I don't really know."

"Artie said they may be related to the experiment you were working with, but have they gotten any better now that you're done with that?"

She shook her head.

"Why don't you tell me a little bit about your medical history?" Vanessa pulled a notepad from her bag and uncapped a pen.

"I don't really have one. I was in a psych ward for a little while, but I only saw my psychiatrist. I haven't really seen anyone else for medical stuff."

"No general practitioner?" Vanessa asked, scribbling on the notepad.

The teen shook her head.

"Okay. What kind of treatment did they give you in the psych ward? Any medications?"

Claudia snorted. "What didn't they try?" She paused for a moment. "Anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, anti-anxiety meds… They tried different kinds of therapy including ECT. That was super fun."

The doctor winced. "Was any of that medication helpful?"

"Nah. My visions were legit, so all that stuff just made me feel like a zombie."

"Are you on any medication right now?"

"Nope."

"How has your diet been? Do you eat a lot of veggies?"

"Up until 3 days ago, it was pretty much just the peas and carrots in the raman package. I got a little more in the psych ward, but it's been three months since then."

"Okay, here's what I think might be the best plan. I'll draw some blood, because I have a hunch that you might be anemic. I'd also like to do a top to toe exam. Because you haven't been under a general practitioner's care, it's a good idea. You can turn me down if you want to, and I'll just do the bloodwork, but that's my recommendation."

The redhead looked down, then nodded, shutting her eyes for a moment.

"Alright, well, your head looks just fine. Any eye troubles?"

"Nope."

"Let's check your temp." The woman pulled a thermometer out of her bag, uncapped it, and handed it to Claudia, who stuck it under her tongue. After a moment, it beeped.

"98.6. Perfect." She put it away and pulled out a stethoscope. "I'm going to give a quick listen to your heart and lungs, alright?"

The girl nodded. She squirmed slightly when Vanessa nudged the stethoscope under the neckline of her shirt.

"Okay?"

The redhead nodded for what felt like the millionth time, and Vanessa noted that her heart was beating rapidly.

"And, the back," the doctor said, gently lifting Claudia's shirt and sweatshirt in the back to listen to her lungs. Vanessa paused for a moment when she saw several discolored splotches on Claudia's back; clear signs of abuse. After listening to the girl's lungs for a moment, she took the stethoscope off and deposited it in her bag. She tried to come up with a tactful way to bring the scars up, but thought better of it.

"Alright, I'm going to check your pulse and blood pressure."

She asked Claudia to take off her sweatshirt so she could access her arm better. The young woman froze for a moment, and Vanessa was about to repeat herself when Claudia quickly and roughly pulled off her sweatshirt. She wouldn't make eye contact with Vanessa as the doctor wrapped the blood pressure cuff around her upper arm. Vanessa then turned Claudia's wrist around to put two fingers on her pulse point. The doctor's eyes flickered over the inch-long, thin, white lines running up Claudia's wrist and arm before she tightened the cuff and wrote down Claudia's stats.

"They- They aren't recent." Claudia mumbled.

"What aren't?"

"The scars. They're from when I was like 12 through 15. I was just... having a rough time."

"And the ones on your back?"

"Foster dads," she said reluctantly.

"Your blood pressure is high. That's probably the cause of your nose bleeds."

"So… what do I do for that?"

"I can get you some medication. I'd also suggest eating a little healthier now that you're in the position to do so and try to get enough rest.

"I feel like an old lady."

Vanessa moved on. "Claudia, have you ever had a pap smear?"

The redhead's eyes widened. "Um… uh, no. But can we like… not?" Vanessa noticed that the girl's hands were shaking.

"Okay. You should really have one at some point, but it doesn't have to be today."

Claudia nodded, and the doctor stood back.

"Well, anything else you want me to check out?"

"No."

"Alright, let's get that blood work out of the way, and you'll be free to go."

Claudia didn't flinch when Vanessa stuck her with the needle, and soon the doctor had a few vials of blood: two for testing, and one for the Warehouse's purposes.

"I'll have your medication for you tomorrow. If you ever have any medical needs, or just want someone to talk to, I'm a phone-call away, okay?"

Claudia nodded. "Uh, thanks."

The doctor nodded, smiling, then gathered her things and left.

* * *

**Thank you for reading, and please leave a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, sorry it's been forever. I finished finals a week ago, and soon am heading away to an internet-less summer job, but I thought I'd work on some of my stories while I have the chance.**

* * *

A week after Claudia became a part of the Warehouse crew, she was helping Leena clear the dishes from the table. The redhead was making her way to the kitchen when a glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the ground. Her eyes widened, and she immediately bent down and began sweeping the glass up with her hands. When Leena entered the dining room, Claudia flinched and slowly looked up.

"I'm so sorry. I'll- I'll clean it up. I can buy a new one or something."

"Claudia, stop. Your hands are bleeding."

The girl looked down, and saw that the sharp glass had indeed compromised her skin.

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. It's okay. Let's go to the kitchen and I'll clean your hands up."

Claudia got up slowly and followed Leena into the kitchen, where the brunette patted the island.

"Have a seat and I'll grab the first aid kit."

The redhead sat on the island and waited as Leena gathered supplies. She came back to stand in front of Claudia and gently cleaned and dressed the girl's hands.

"Listen, I'm really sorry about the glass."

"Claudia, it's just a glass. It's okay. You're so much more important."

She looked down.

"I don't know what you've experienced in your life, or in other places you've lived, but I want you to know that you are safe here. We're not going to turn you out."

"Um, thanks."

Claudia turned and left the room quickly, flexing her hand and wincing.

* * *

The next day, Claudia was sitting at the Warehouse computer, logging items she had shelved, when the front door opened. Myka came through, smiling.

"Hey, how's the work going?"

"Fine."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go back to your apartment and get some more of your stuff?"

"Oh, that'd be awesome."

"When's a good time for you?"

"Uh, now actually. I think I've finished everything I can handle today," she said, shutting down the computer and standing up. Myka lead her out to the car, and they drove to a Southwestern suburb of Minneapolis, where Claudia's apartment was.

"God, I haven't been back here in forever."

They went in together, and the landlady greeted them in the hallway.

"Claudia, dear, it's nice to see you."

"Good to see you too, Mrs. Richmond."

"I take it the secret service caught up with you?" She asked, eyeing Myka.

"Oh, yup. Apparently I'm of some use to the President."

"Well, good luck with that, dear."

"Thanks."

They continued to the apartment, and Claudia took a look around.

"Wow, I look a little crazy from this wall, don't I?" She was staring at one wall of the main room, which was covered with pictures of Artie, a detailed map with x's showing places Artie had been, and lists of government jobs he had supposedly had.

"No…"

Claudia gave Myka a look.

"Maybe a little."

The redhead smirked, then began packing books into one of the boxes they had brought.

"So, is Artie working you too hard? Vanessa said you should take it easy for a few weeks."

"Nah, I've had worse jobs."

"Yeah, like what?" Myka asked, remembering a particularly unpleasant fast food joint she had worked at during college.

Claudia looked down and didn't answer.

"Sorry, you don't have to tell me."

"No, it's just… uh… yeah, nevermind." She ducked her head and continued packing things into a box. Claudia wanted to build good relationships with these people, but if they knew too much about her past, they'd probably send her packing. She didn't trust them, especially not Leena. The woman seemed to know far too much about Claudia; she had enough ammo to blackmail the girl at a moment's notice, and Claudia hadn't even told her anything.

"So, how long have you lived here?" Myka already knew this, but she was trying her best to make conversation with Claudia.

"Uh, four years, I guess."

"It seems like a nice place."

"It is. Mrs. Richmond was exactly who I needed when I was out on my own." The girl remembered when she had first arrived at Mrs. Richmond's door, 4 years previous. She had been on the street for 3 months. $30 of the $200 she had saved had gone to a gym membership so that she had a locker to store some of her things, and could shower whenever she wanted. By the time she went to the landlady, her clothing had seen better days. It was already old when she left the foster care system, and she had hand-washed it in the sinks at the gym for the past three months. She had been saving every spare penny from the job that she refused to think about in order to afford the deposit and first month's rent for an apartment, and the landlady had been willing to rent to her with few questions asked. She didn't ask questions when Claudia returned late in the evenings looking like an 18 year old and wearing less than appropriate clothing for the still-chilly nights of April in Minnesota. She also didn't ask questions about the girl's nightmare-induced screams in the middle of the night. It didn't disturb the other people in the apartments, so she left it alone.

Claudia had gotten out her horrendous job six months after she moved in. Mrs. Richmond had clearly known what kind of work she was doing, but also knew that Claudia was great with computers, so the woman found her a job at the local tech shop, and that was that. Three years later, she had advanced to help run the shop. But everything changed when she started having visions of Joshua. It had started when she was in Minneapolis, doing a workshop along with her boss for the local college kids. All of a sudden, she hadn't know where she was. She had looked around, and she seemed to be in a different place in the college. Then she had to watch her brother's death. She came out of the vision shaking and trying not to cry, with concerned college students staring at her. The same type of vision happened over and over, interfering with her job, her sleep, until finally she checked herself into the psych ward, one of the worst mistakes she ever made.

"Claudia?" Myka's voice cut through the girl's thoughts.

"Sorry, what?"

"Do you want me to start carrying stuff down to the car?"

"Sure. I'll just pack up the last few things in the closet, and then we'll be good to go."

Myka left the apartment, carrying a large box in her arms, and Claudia put the last few items into a box, closing it and taping it shut. She stared at the now empty apartment. This had been more of a home than any of her foster homes, but she was used to moving on; used to not getting attached. She picked up the last box and moved toward the hallway, turning to close and lock the door. She went up to Mrs. Richmond's apartment and knocked on the door. The woman opened the door after a few moments.

"All packed up, dear?"

"Yup. Just here to drop off my key. Just charge the damage of the wall to my account."

"Okay."

Claudia turned to leave, when the woman stopped her.

"Claudia, wait a second."

She turned back.

"I've been very happy to be your landlady these four years, and I wish you the very best."

"Thanks." Claudia couldn't look her in the eye.

"Make sure to take care of yourself, okay? I don't want to see you back where you started when you showed up at my door."

The girl nodded.

"Alright. Go on, then."

As the girl walked down the stairs, she put on a nonchalant expression. She hated goodbyes, but she refused to let Myka see her emotionally vulnerable.

"Got everything?" The Warehouse agent asked.

"Yup, let's go."

* * *

Three days later, Claudia got a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in," the girl said, looking up from her laptop. Leena came in and looked around. Claudia hadn't even opened any of the taped-up boxes from her apartment.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Looks like the unpacking is going slowly.

"Yeah, I guess."

From what Leena knew about the foster system and the kids who went through it, she knew Claudia was worried she was going to have to leave and go somewhere else. The girl probably thought she was saving effort by not unpacking.

"Do you have any laundry that needs doing? I'm doing a few loads if you want to add stuff in."

"Um, sure." The redhead got up and grabbed a plastic bag with some clothing in it and handed it to Leena.

"Great. I'll just put them on your bed once they're clean."

The girl nodded, and Leena left.

Claudia sat back down, pulling up Skype on her computer and pressing the button to call Joshua. After a few moments, he answered.

"Hey Claudia!"

"Hey big brother. How are things going in Switzerland? You accidentally killed anyone yet?"

"No. How about you?"

"Well, I accidentally became extremely magnetic and almost got crushed by a truck."

"What?"

"But I'm fine now. Are you settling in?"

"Yeah. It's weird. I keep forgetting I need things like sleep and food because I didn't have them in the interdimensional space."

"Take care of yourself, Josh."

"I'm getting better at it. One of my co-workers showed me how to set alarms on my phone, so I've been setting reminder alarms for myself."

"Good job." She smiled at her brother.

"Thanks. How are you settling in at the Warehouse? Do you think you'll stay there?"

"Um, yeah. Hopefully."

"They seem like really good people."

"They are. I just… I already messed up big time."

"Well, if you need a place to stay, my apartment here has a fine looking couch."

"I'll keep that in mind."

They chatted for a few more minutes, and then said their goodbyes. Claudia shut her laptop and looked around at the boxes. She gingerly moved to one, pulling the tape off and opening it up. Inside were most of her clothes. She pulled out a pair of jeans, and began moving toward the empty dresser near her bed, but stopped, conflicted. Standing in the middle of the room for several moments, she tried to decide what to do. Finally, she went back to the box, put the jeans back inside, and closed it. These people were nice for now, but how long would that last? She wasn't going to take chances getting too attached.

* * *

The next day, Claudia was at the Warehouse working on inventory for Artie. Leena had finished washing Claudia's things, and brought them up to her room, slipping in to put them on her bed. As she walked into the room, she had noticed a wrapper sticking out from under the bed, and bent down to pick it up and throw it out. She realized, however, that it was a granola bar that hadn't been eaten yet. Looking further under the bed, Leena noticed a whole mountain of granola bars and other packaged food. The team needed to somehow communicate to Claudia that they wanted her there. The girl hadn't unpacked anything, and now she was storing food in case she needed to make a quick getaway.

When Claudia arrived at the B&amp;B that night, she was covered in purple neutralizer. She went up to her room, noticing the clean clothes on her bed. She grabbed a tee shirt and some underwear and then opened her box of clothes to grab a pair of grey sweatpants. Making her way down the hallway to the bathroom, she tried to avoid dripping neutralizer on the floor. Her shower ended up taking 30 minutes because of the neutralizer that had begun to harden on her hair. She finally made her way downstairs, plopping herself down on the couch.

"Alright Claude, what do you want to watch?" Pete asked.

"Claude?"

"Yeah, I thought that would be a good nickname. I was thinking about Jon-Claude, but I thought I'd shorten it a little."

"Huh. Alright. And I think we should finish the first season of Battlestar Galactica tonight."

"Totally agreed."

They were midway through the second to last episode of season 1, when Leena came in and sat down.

"You going nerd on us, Leena?"

"No, actually, I had something I wanted to ask you about."

Pete paused the show and stared at both of them. "Is this like a… lady thing?"

"No, Pete. You can stay. Claudia, I was going to tell you that Sonic Youth is playing in Minneapolis in December, and I thought you might like to go."

"What? Seriously?" Claudia's face lit up.

"Yes. So I got us front row seats. Consider it your Christmas present."

Claudia's jaw dropped.

"Oh my goddess. Thank you!"

"You're welcome. I actually love Sonic Youth myself, so it's a gift for me too."

Leena smiled at the girl as Pete pressed play on the episode. Leena had been wanting to show Claudia that they wanted her around, and she hoped that making future plans would help to foster that idea.


End file.
